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I just noticed that in Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu's 'Best Aikido' books, he uses the word Dai in between the attack name and the technique name. For examples, Shomen uchi sankyo omote is discribed as Shomen uchi Dai sankyo omote.

So my question is what does 'dai' mean? is it some sort of japanese grammar article or adjective or else?

I just noticed that in Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu's 'Best Aikido' books, he uses the word Dai in between the attack name and the technique name. For examples, Shomen uchi sankyo omote is discribed as Shomen uchi Dai sankyo omote.

So my question is what does 'dai' mean? is it some sort of japanese grammar article or adjective or else?

This 'dai' is different. It means "big" or "great". Whereas in Japan anyone who precedes you in school, company, dojo, etc even by a month, or a year is your sempai, "daisempai" is someone who is far senior to you, someone you might want to show particular respect to by using such a term.

I also believe "dai" can mean something like "associate to/of" if used after the subject word (in Ramanji at least). Ex. Shihan Dai Does this sound correct to anyone? Not sure, myself. I know the kanji are different for the different meanings. For example, Yoshinkan Aikido usually has two variations of its basic core techniques, dai ichi and dai ni. That verision of 'dai' might be the same kanji as the suspect 'dai' that I originally wrote about (still not sure if its a figment of my imagination). The dai for 'great' (as in dai-to, or dai-tachi...whatever the word is for a big sword) would be a different kanji. I know there are some people on here that have been posting specific kanji...it'd be pretty cool if someone could post the different kanji for each of the two (three?) words for dai.

For example, Yoshinkan Aikido usually has two variations of its basic core techniques, dai ichi and dai ni. That verision of 'dai' might be the same kanji as the suspect 'dai' that I originally wrote about (still not sure if its a figment of my imagination).

.. Yup, IIRC in this case I think its bascially saying "the first (version/variation)", the second (version/variation).

I know there are some people on here that have been posting specific kanji...it'd be pretty cool if someone could post the different kanji for each of the two (three?) words for dai.

Hello,

It might be cool, but I think it would also be of little value to those who do not read Japanese.

In some cases DAI can also be read as TAI. There are 20 different characters that can be read as TAI and 8 that can be read as DAI. Some are the same and some are different and this is before we get to all the compounds, which take up 30 pages in the dictionary I have to hand (the Daijirin, pp. 1428-1458).

I also believe "dai" can mean something like "associate to/of" if used after the subject word (in Ramanji at least). Ex. Shihan Dai Does this sound correct to anyone? Not sure, myself. I know the kanji are different for the different meanings. For example, Yoshinkan Aikido usually has two variations of its basic core techniques, dai ichi and dai ni. That verision of 'dai' might be the same kanji as the suspect 'dai' that I originally wrote about (still not sure if its a figment of my imagination). The dai for 'great' (as in dai-to, or dai-tachi...whatever the word is for a big sword) would be a different kanji. I know there are some people on here that have been posting specific kanji...it'd be pretty cool if someone could post the different kanji for each of the two (three?) words for dai.